IELTS General Reading Practice Test 01
Passage A
City-Cycle: The New Urban Bike Share Scheme
Welcome to City-Cycle, our city’s premier public bicycle sharing programme, designed to provide a healthy, sustainable, and cheap alternative for your daily commute or leisurely weekend rides. With over 150 docking stations positioned throughout the metropolitan area, finding and returning a bicycle has never been easier.
How to Register and Pay To begin using City-Cycle, you must first register via our official smartphone app or by visiting our website. All users must be at least 16 years of age and hold a valid debit or credit card. When registering, you can choose between a Daily Pass (£3), a Weekly Pass (£10), or an Annual Membership (£55). Please note that cash payments are not accepted at any of our docking stations.
Unlocking and Riding Once registered, you will receive a unique 5-digit unlock code on your smartphone. Simply enter this code into the keypad located next to any docked bicycle. The green light will flash, indicating the physical lock has been released. You have 30 seconds to pull the bicycle out of the dock before it locks automatically again. For your safety, we strongly recommend performing a quick visual check of the tyres, brakes, and bell before embarking on your journey.
Usage Fees and Return Process Every pass includes unlimited rides of up to 30 minutes at no additional charge. If you keep a bicycle out for longer than 30 minutes in a single trip, an extra fee of £1.50 will be charged for each subsequent 30-minute block. To avoid this surcharge, simply return your bicycle to any City-Cycle docking station within the first half hour, wait for the green confirmation light to illuminate on the dock, and immediately unlock another bicycle if you wish to continue your journey.
Bicycles can be returned to any docking station in the city, regardless of where they were originally hired. If you arrive at a station that is completely full, tap your registered membership card or phone against the station terminal screen to receive an additional 15 minutes of free credit, allowing you enough time to ride to the nearest available station.
Passage B
Greenwood Community College Evening Workshops
A. Introduction to Digital Photography Are you eager to move beyond the automatic settings on your digital camera? This hands-on workshop introduces participants to the essential principles of photography, focusing on exposure, aperture control, shutter speed, and creative composition. Each week, you will complete practical assignments designed to build your confidence behind the lens. All attendees must bring their own digital SLR or mirrorless camera with manual controls.
B. Creative Writing: Finding Your Voice This course is aimed at individuals who have always wanted to write but do not know where to begin. Through a series of supportive writing exercises, participants will explore different genres, including short fiction, poetry, and personal essays. The sessions will focus on character development, narrative structure, and overcoming creative blocks. There is no requirement to share your writing with the group unless you feel completely comfortable doing so.
C. Spanish for Holidaymakers Planning a trip to Spain or South America? This highly practical language course is tailored specifically for travellers. You will focus on essential spoken phrases for everyday situations, such as ordering delicious meals in restaurants, asking for clear directions, booking hotel rooms, and handling emergency situations. Our native speaker tutor will also share valuable cultural insights to help you navigate your holiday with ease. No prior knowledge of Spanish is required.
D. Essential Home First Aid Would you know what to do in a medical emergency? This vital course provides participants with the practical skills and confidence needed to administer emergency first aid safely. Led by a registered paramedic, the curriculum covers cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), treating severe cuts and burns, handling choking incidents, and managing sudden allergic reactions. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive a nationally recognised First Aid Certificate valid for three years.
Questions 1–7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Passage A? In boxes 1–7 on your answer sheet, write:
- TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
- FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
- NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
- Registration for the City-Cycle scheme can only be completed online.
- Children under the age of 16 may ride the bicycles if they are accompanied by an adult.
- Users are permitted to settle their registration bills using cash at the docking terminals.
- If a user does not remove the bicycle from the dock within 30 seconds of unlocking it, the system resets.
- The extra charge for journeys exceeding 30 minutes is waived for Annual Members.
- A hired bicycle must be returned to the exact same docking station where the journey commenced.
- Users can request extra time without charge if they cannot find an empty space to park their bicycle.
Questions 8–14
Look at the four workshop descriptions, A–D. For which workshop are the following statements true? Write the correct letter, A–D, in boxes 8–14 on your answer sheet. NB You may use any letter more than once.
- The instructor of this course is a professional healthcare worker.
- Students will receive an official qualification that remains valid for a limited period.
- Participants must bring their own personal photographic equipment to the classes.
- The primary focus of the syllabus is to help travellers communicate in real-world scenarios.
- Sharing one's completed creative work with classmates is entirely optional.
- The curriculum contains helpful cultural advice alongside vocabulary practice.
- This workshop is designed to teach people how to construct believable fictional figures.
Your Answers: 1–14
Passage C
Apex Solutions: Remote Working Policy and Guidelines
Eligibility and Request Process Remote working is a flexible arrangement that allows employees to complete their duties from home or another approved location. To be eligible to apply for remote working, staff members must have successfully completed their initial six-month probationary period. Additionally, their job role must be determined by Human Resources to be suitable for off-site execution. Eligible employees must submit a formal Remote Working Request Form to their line manager at least four weeks prior to their proposed start date.
Equipment and Cybersecurity Apex Solutions will supply a standard corporate laptop, an external monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse to all approved remote workers. These items remain the sole property of the company and must be returned immediately upon termination of employment.
To protect corporate data, employees are strictly forbidden from installing unauthorised software or using personal laptops to access the company network. All remote connections must be secured through the company’s Virtual Private Network (VPN). Employees are responsible for ensuring they have a secure, reliable high-speed broadband connection in their remote workspace. Apex Solutions does not reimburse home internet connection fees.
Core Hours and Availability Remote employees are expected to maintain the same working hours as they would in the office. Our core business hours are between 09:30 and 15:30, Monday to Friday. Remote staff must be fully contactable and available for video conferences and telephone calls throughout these hours. Any temporary absence during the core working day, such as a doctor's appointment, must be pre-approved by a direct supervisor and logged on the internal attendance calendar.
Passage D
Aura Retail Group: Employee Annual Appraisals and Promotion Policy
At Aura Retail Group, we believe that our employees are our greatest asset. Our annual appraisal and promotion framework is structured to ensure that outstanding performance is recognised, nurtured, and rewarded. This policy outlines the steps taken each year to assess employee development and manage career advancement within the company.
Annual Performance Appraisals Every employee will undergo a formal performance appraisal during the month of October. The appraisal process begins with a self-assessment, which must be completed by the employee on the HR portal. Following this, a one-on-one meeting is scheduled between the employee and their store manager.
During this appraisal session, the manager will review the employee's work over the past twelve months, focusing on key metrics such as sales targets, customer feedback, punctuality, and teamwork. The meeting concludes with the setting of three professional objectives for the upcoming year.
Promotion Criteria and Applications Aura Retail Group prioritises internal promotion over external recruitment whenever possible. When a senior role, such as Shift Supervisor or Assistant Store Manager, becomes vacant, the position is advertised internally on the staff noticeboards and employee intranet for a period of ten working days.
To apply for an internal promotion, an employee must meet the following baseline criteria:
- Have at least twelve months of continuous service with Aura Retail Group.
- Have achieved a rating of 'Exceeds Expectations' in their most recent annual performance appraisal.
- Have no active disciplinary warnings or formal attendance issues on their record.
The Selection and Interview Process All internal candidates who meet the baseline criteria will be invited to a formal interview with the Store Manager and an HR representative. The interview will include situational questions designed to assess the candidate's leadership potential, problem-solving skills, and knowledge of company operations. Successful applicants will be transitioned into their new roles at the start of the following monthly pay cycle, accompanied by a comprehensive training programme.
Questions 15–20
Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 15–20 on your answer sheet.
- Staff are only permitted to request a remote work schedule once they have finished their .................... .
- To initiate the remote working process, employees must fill in and hand in an official .................... .
- Any computer hardware provided by the company is considered the .................... of Apex Solutions.
- Employees must connect to the internal network using a .................... to guarantee data security.
- The company will not reimburse employees for home internet .....................
- All workers must be available for phone calls and online meetings during defined .................... .
Questions 21–27
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Passage D? In boxes 21–27 on your answer sheet, write:
- TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
- FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
- NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
- Annual appraisals are held during the same month for all employees.
- Store managers are responsible for initiating the appraisal process by writing the initial self-assessment.
- Every performance appraisal ends with the creation of three new work goals.
- Aura Retail Group prefers to hire managers from outside the company rather than promote existing staff.
- Vacant supervisor positions are displayed on the staff intranet for exactly two weeks.
- Staff with less than a year of employment at Aura Retail Group are ineligible to apply for promotion.
- Successful internal promotion candidates are expected to organise their own training after starting the new job.
Your Answers: 15–27
Passage E
The Remarkable Rise of the Urban Bee
A For decades, the standard image of beekeeping was firmly rooted in the countryside. Picturesque wooden hives sat nestled against a backdrop of rolling green hills, blooming apple orchards, and wild meadows. Today, however, a quiet revolution is taking place on the rooftops and in the community gardens of some of the world’s most densely populated cities. From London and Paris to New York and Tokyo, urban beekeeping has transformed from a quirky niche hobby into a highly successful environmental movement.
B This dramatic shift is driven by a surprising ecological reality: honeybees are often healthier and more productive in urban centres than in their traditional rural habitats. Modern industrial agriculture in rural areas has created vast monocultures—massive fields of a single crop, such as wheat or corn, which bloom for only a few weeks a year. For the rest of the season, rural bees face a severe lack of food. Furthermore, the heavy use of chemical pesticides in commercial farming has decimated rural bee populations. In contrast, cities offer an incredibly diverse, year-round buffet of flowers, trees, and ornamental plants found in residential gardens, public parks, railway embankments, and historic cemeteries.
C The physical environment of a city also offers unique thermal advantages for hives. Cities experience what scientists call the 'urban heat island effect,' where concrete structures, asphalt roads, and industrial activity absorb and retain heat. This keeps urban temperatures slightly higher than those in surrounding rural landscapes. For bees, warmth is crucial. A warmer environment means that worker bees can emerge from the hive earlier in the spring and remain active later into the autumn. This extended active season allows urban colonies to gather more nectar, resulting in honey yields that frequently outstrip those of rural hives.
D The benefits of urban beekeeping extend far beyond the production of sweet honey. Bees play a vital role as pollinators, and their presence in urban environments has led to a noticeable rejuvenation of city ecosystems. Local allotments, community vegetable patches, and fruit trees in public parks rely heavily on bees for pollination. As a result of the urban beekeeping boom, city gardeners have reported significantly higher yields of tomatoes, apples, and berries. This boost to urban food production is fostering a deeper connection between city dwellers and the natural systems that support them.
E As the popularity of urban beekeeping has soared, technology has stepped in to modernise the ancient practice. Traditional beekeeping relies heavily on manual inspections, which can be highly disruptive and stressful for the colony. Today, innovative 'smart hives' equipped with internal electronic sensors are changing the game. These sensors monitor the hive’s internal temperature, humidity levels, and overall weight in real-time. By tracking weight changes, beekeepers can estimate how much honey has been produced without ever opening the box. This data is transmitted directly to the beekeeper's smartphone, allowing for highly targeted, low-stress hive management.
F While the rise of the city bee is largely celebrated, it does present unique challenges. The most pressing issue is hive density. If too many hives are placed in a single metropolitan area, the local bee population can easily outgrow the available food supply. This leads to intense competition between honeybees and native wild bee species for limited nectar sources. Experienced urban beekeepers emphasise the importance of responsible management, urging city authorities to monitor hive numbers and encourage residents to plant bee-friendly flowers to ensure there is always enough food to go around.
Questions 28–33
Passage E has six paragraphs, A–F. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct letter, i–viii, in boxes 28–33 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
- i The positive impact on local food cultivation
- ii How metropolitan warmth extends the working season
- iii The potential dangers of overcrowding in urban areas
- iv A transition of apiaries from countryside to urban spaces
- v The global decline of honey production in rural zones
- vi Using digital tools to reduce disturbance to colonies
- vii How crop variety and pesticide reduction benefit city hives
- viii The historical techniques of collecting honey in European cities
- Paragraph A
- Paragraph B
- Paragraph C
- Paragraph D
- Paragraph E
- Paragraph F
Questions 34–37
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write the correct letter in boxes 34–37 on your answer sheet.
- According to Paragraph B, what is a major problem faced by bees in rural areas?
- A The rapid spread of insect diseases through monoculture fields.
- B The absence of suitable trees to build natural nests.
- C A lack of diverse food sources for the majority of the year.
- D Sudden shifts in seasonal weather patterns in industrial zones.
- The 'urban heat island effect' helps honeybees because
- A it allows them to fly further distances away from the hive.
- B it keeps the temperature high enough for them to work for longer periods.
- C it prevents rain from dampening the hive's internal structure.
- D it encourages the rapid growth of new agricultural crops.
- According to Paragraph E, what is the main advantage of 'smart hives'?
- A They automatically harvest honey when the hive reaches a certain weight.
- B They shield the bees from the noises of urban traffic.
- C They allow keepers to check on hive conditions without opening them.
- D They can regulate the internal humidity levels of the boxes.
- What concern does the author raise about urban beekeeping in Paragraph F?
- A Honeybees might become aggressive towards city residents in crowded areas.
- B Too many hives can cause food shortages and harm wild bee populations.
- C City honey might become contaminated by vehicle pollution.
- D The cost of maintaining hives in urban areas is becoming too expensive.
Questions 38–40
Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 38–40 on your answer sheet.
Benefits and Innovations in Urban Beekeeping
Urban honeybees enjoy major health advantages because cities offer a varied food selection and are free from harmful 38 .................... . In addition, the 'urban heat island effect' keeps city temperatures warmer, helping bees gather more nectar and generate larger 39 .................... of honey.
Furthermore, urban beekeeping assists the environment by improving the pollination of local gardens, parks, and allotments. Beekeepers can now use 40 .................... inside smart hives to check the health and weight of their colonies on their mobile phones, making hive maintenance much simpler and less stressful.
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